Full coverage: South China Sea Is Indisputable Part of China

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea has never been a problem. It added that China has made great efforts in safeguarding the freedom with other countries in the region. It also urged some countries to stop disrupting regional safety and stability in the name of safeguarding the right of the navigation freedom.

Expert Zhou Bo tells us more on this issue.

"Theoretically, this term, freedom of navigation is enshrined in the UNCLOS which is the fundamental international maritime law. The irony is people just pretend notvt to be able to understand what the outside is saying. And why is that? because people have different national interest. UNCLOS itself is the product of nine years of negotiation because of the different national interest. Therefore, there are so many loopholes and both China and United states would quote the same article to justify their own without agreement. Just advise the old steps without a agreement. For China freedom of navigation is of course a better fact and we always maintain that China has never impeded any freedom of navigation. But we disagree to some the claims that the freedom of navigation is used for all waters. China still would not endorse American daily reconnaissance in China, because essentially we consider you are not coming here to offer us only brounch, you are breaking into my back yard and try to read the pin number of my safe in my house and you come here on daily basis, but probably there could be another way of resolving this problem that is through tactical arrangements to make sure we do not have problems and maybe most important of all as China becomes stronger. China and United States should shoulder greater joint international responsibilities," Expert Zhou Bo said.